Employment Rises in Canada as Unemployment Falls to 6.5% in November

According to a new report from Statistics Canada, the labor force survey data for November 2025 indicates an increase of 54,000 jobs (+0.3%), driven by a strong rise in part-time employment. The employment rate rose to 60.9%, while the unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage points to 6.5%.

The report highlighted that youth aged 15 to 24 were the most benefited, with their employment rising by 50,000 jobs (+1.8%), marking the first real growth for this demographic since the beginning of the year, following a period of challenges in the labor market.

Conversely, employment among the core working age group (25-54 years) and seniors showed little change during the month, despite gains in previous months.

Leading Growth Sectors

The service sectors recorded the largest employment increases, particularly:

• Healthcare and social assistance: +46,000 jobs (+1.6%)
• Accommodation and food services: +14,000 jobs (+1.2%)
• Natural resources: +11,000 jobs (+3.4%)

Meanwhile, employment in the wholesale and retail sector decreased by 34,000 jobs (-1.1%), following a strong rise in October.

Alberta Records Largest Regional Increase

Regionally, Alberta led employment gains with 29,000 jobs (+1.1%), marking the second significant increase in three months.
Employment also rose in:

• New Brunswick: +5,500 jobs (+1.4%)
• Manitoba: +4,500 jobs (+0.6%)

Employment remained relatively stable in Ontario and Quebec, with the unemployment rate in Ontario declining to 7.3%, while it remained steady at 5.1% in Quebec.

Youth Reduce Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate among youth fell to 12.8%, a decrease of 1.3 percentage points for the second consecutive month, after reaching 14.7% in September, the highest in over a decade.

Wages Rise Amid Decreased Job Security Perception

The average hourly wage for employees increased by 3.6% year-on-year, reaching $37, compared to a 3.5% increase in October.

Despite the improvement in employment, the report revealed a decline in job security perception; 73.6% of employees stated they do not expect to lose their jobs in the next six months, a decrease of 4.1 points from 2023. The largest declines in confidence were recorded in:

• Public administration
• Education
• Professional and technical services

Employee confidence in securing a similar-paying job also decreased; only 42.8% indicated it would be easy, compared to 49% a year ago.